DisneyLAND and disabilities?

[ORMom2Four]

What rides at Disneyland (California--not Florida) can you bring a wheelchair through the line and not use a special entrance?

We are hoping to get a GAC for our 5 year old who uses the Maclaren Major as a wheelchair. He is able to walk, so if we do not have the option of bringing the chair though the line, we will try to have him walk with us.

I would imagine some of the fantasy land rides are not wide enough to accomodate a wheelchair. Is that correct?

 

[livndisney]

Is there a board for this?
I was considering a trip to Disneyland but after a little reading I am not sure I would be able to handle much. I read where most of the lines are wide enough for a wheelchair so there are not many "other" entrances (which is where they usually send me at WDW.) Do they have a GAC like the one at WDW?

 

[SueM in MN]

I merged these 2 threads because they will probably have the same answers.

The best answer is probably to look in the DisneyLAND Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. Their site won't let me post a direct link to the page that downloads a pdf file of that information, but if you click here, it will take you to the DisneyLAND page about mobility disabilities. There is a link on the right hand side of the page to download the guidebook.

Disney's California Adventure Park was built well after the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) came into being, so most of the attractions were built with Mainstream Access (which means the entire line is wheelchair accessible.

Because DisneyLAND was built many decades before the ADA, some of the attractions were not able to be mainstreamed and have a separate wheelchair entrance. It does not usually save any time, since the handicapped lines can be a longer wait than the non-accessible line. But the purpose of the wheelchair entrances was to provide access and bypass things like stairs in the queue.

WDW actually has many more accessible mainstream lines/entrances than attractions with specific handicapped entrances. As rides were renovated or added since 1999 or so, they have been adding accessible mainstream lines as much as possible. AK and the Studio were built with Mainstream Lines. At some of the rides wheelchair/ECV users need to board at a different area because the regular boarding area is not wheelchair accessible. When renovations were done, the access to the wheelchair boarding area was often moved so that wheelchair and ECV users wait in the regular line with everyone else and are routed to the 'special boarding' area just before the line gets to boarding.
At WDW, they had room to make these renovations. In many cases they didn't have that kind of room at DisneyLAND and needed to keep a separate wheelchair entrance.

 

[SueM in MN]

Is there a board for this?
I was considering a trip to Disneyland but after a little reading I am not sure I would be able to handle much. I read where most of the lines are wide enough for a wheelchair so there are not many "other" entrances (which is where they usually send me at WDW.) Do they have a GAC like the one at WDW?

To answer specifically, there is not a special disABILITIES Board for Disneyland. Many of those questions do end up here.

The GAC at DisneyLAND works very similarly to WDW.

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

I just wanted to add if you go to Mouseplanet too. I know there are quite a few ladies over there will a ton of experience with DisneyLAND and wheelchairs. They are very knowledgeable and would be very helpful.

 

[mechurchlady]

I am coming off allergies and no sleep so forgive me if I am more ADD or incoherent than usual.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/potties/
That is a full list of Disneyland bathrooms. It includes number of HCA stalls, high or low urinals, flush types, faucet types, type of changing tables, mirrors, a picture of the entrance, and comments. There is a page listing where manual flush toilets are located, the items available at the Baby Center and a bit about the Nurses Station.

All rides at Disneyland allow a guest to wheel onto the ride such as the Train or roll up to the ride vehicle to board. Some like Alice in Wonderland use the exit which is a short walk and the guest can roll the ECV or Wheelchair up to the ride vehicle.

If you plan to drive then bring your handicapped placard from your homes state. Since you might want to have your son walk through an exit, which is a short walk to the ride vehicle, then you would need a GAC at DLR. Most Fantasyland rides are pre ADA and there is no room to make the ride lines wheelchair accessible.

The train is wheechair/ECV accessible except for Main Street Station where you have to walk down lots of steps. I did not like sitting in the bench seat where the wheelchairs are put. that is because the back is so low that I get a phobia attack because I feel like I am going to fall out.

DCA is being remodelled for the next few years. It is very disabled friendly and has more lines where the disabled have to stand in the main line for a while before being specially loaded.

Disneyland does have a baby swapping pass (whatever it is called) where everyone rides but one person who child sits then that person and one or two persons then rides through a short line.

There is plenty to do at DLR such as the gentle steamboat, the train, small world and shows. Disney goes out of its way to make sure that disabled guests can access rides somehow. The except is Peter Pan which is at one point is 10 or more feet above ground. For at least 20 years this rides was off limits to disabled guests in that if the ride E-stopped and an evac was required then it would be very dangerous for the disabled guest to be safely brought to the ground.

If you have questions about DLR and the southland ask but as you see I aint always clear headed, wow what a run on sentence.

 

[dclfun]

The last time we were at DL I didn't find it difficult to get through most lines in my power chair. For the ones that did have alternate entrances a CM stood there with a timer and made sure we waited as long as someone did in the regular queue line. It seemed like the "equal wait time" was really a big deal at DL, something I've not found at WDW, even though often wait times are longer for an accessible ride vehicle. You should still be able to get the GAC to use his stroller as a w/c so he doesn't get into a situation where it's too far to walk.---Kathy

 

[ORMom2Four]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. It eases my mind about our upcoming trip.

Livndisney, I hope you do come to Disneyland!

 

[scroot]

The wait time is a factor at DL because many of the ques (like all of the dark rides in fantasyland) are not mainstreamed. For years you could just roll up to the exit and get on. People did take advantage. I will never forget the time I saw a boy jump off of Mr. Toad and push his sister aside as he ran to the rented wheelchair screaming, "it's my turn to ride in it."

When we were there in the October they gave us a single sheet guide for guests with disabilities. I found it quite dissapointing no parade routes, bathrooms, or instructions. I asked at the hotel desk if they had anything else and they gave me what they said was the last "old one."

If you can possibly go at off peak time it will be a better experience for you. I especially like ridding the doom buggy all the way back to the loading area and riding the stretching room back up!

 

[SueM in MN]

When we were there in the October they gave us a single sheet guide for guests with disabilities. I found it quite dissapointing no parade routes, bathrooms, or instructions. I asked at the hotel desk if they had anything else and they gave me what they said was the last "old one."

I would suggest printing off the Guidebook from the Disney site on the internet or getting one at Guest Relations in the park, rather than at the hotel. In our experience at WDW, the hotels are kind of 'spotty' in whether or not they have current guidebooks. I'd expect the same at Disneyland.

 

[mechurchlady]

Based on what I have read and what I know there is a big difference between DLR and WDW. For me WDW was much more consumer friendly that DLR. If I were to book a trip then I could have people dealing with my special need but when I was going to DLR there was nobody to help me with my dietary needs for example.

Definitely plan for a worst case scenario when going to DLR. The CMs are wonderful and helpful people but sometimes you may find yourself without the needed information or not getting the right answer. Definitely copy the online maps and information like the guidebook. Definitely go in off times like monday to the afternoon of Friday. Maybe it is a new procedure of timing disabled guests or maybe it was a CM who was misinformed. I would write DLR and tell them about this as it really is weird. As with WDW the wait time can be much longer at both DLR and WDW as they will or can load so many disabled guests at a time.

 

[Bsbllmom]

In all the years we have been APs at DL we have never been in a line where they keep track of time. Some rides take longer in the wheelchair line because they only let 1 or 2 wheelchair parties go at a time. Otherwise it goes very smoothly. Most rides in Fantasyland will accomodate wheelchairs through the exits. The CMs are helful and are quick to get you on.

 

[Barbday62]

We go every two to three months and never once had a timer lol. I would say on average most waits are shorter except for Space Mountain, Pirates, and a few others I’m not thinking of right now. My husband uses a power chair at Disneyland and I can tell you a quick description of how we get on rides.

In Tomorrow land:
We take his wheel chair into innovnetions.
We get in the normal line or fast pass line for Buzz, Autopia but they both break you out a little down the road to get on at the exit. Autopia puts him on a wheelchair elevator and I use the stairs and Buzz you go through a door to the exit.
We don’t ride Star tours because it’s too rough for him so I’m unsure how that works. When we use to do Space Mountain we entered the exit and when there’s a line we wait our turn there. Most of the time about a half hour wait or so. The wheel chair goes up to the car and if needed they have a bored to help you get on.
He has never ridden astro orbitor so no clue how to get on there.

In FantasyLand:
IS Matterhorn fantasy? LOL. Anyway we wait normal line there and toward the end they break us off to a handicap entrance. We do not ride that any more because it’s too rough for him too.
Small world we get into a handicap line (But note it’s closed until next November)
All the dark rides we enter through exits to ride. And dumbo we wait near the exit to ride. He has never ridden carrousel or Tea Cups so I’m not sure how they get on with wheel chairs.
Finding Nemo we got on in the exit of sorts. The wait was normally a half hour unless we went into the room then it was no wait at all most times.
Storybook canals we enter in the exit.

In Frontier Land: When we use to ride Big Thunder we went in the exit to ride. Its too rough for him now. The Big Thunder ranch is all handicap accessible. We once saw baby goats there. It was so cute!! The mark twain boat is handicap accessible too. He had to get on first and off last so the water level was right.

In New Orleans:
Pirates you load at the exit and most of the time if there is a line outside its a long wait. Longer than walking on regular.
Indiana Jones allows you to weave the exit sort of but its so rough we cant ride it any more. The jungle cruise loads you from the exit. The tree house is not handicap accessible in a wheelchair. Haunted mansion allows us to go in the fast pass entrance then we either walk in and out or bring in wheel chair. We once did the walk in and said never again. When you exit the ramp is a moving ramp that’s pointed in an upward motion. Too hard for him to hold on. So we take the wheel chair in and out. We almost always have to wait inside double the amount of people walking on and we ride the elevator backwards out afterwards too.
We don’t do canoes but I think a wheel chair can go pretty close.
In Toon Town we get in the normal line for Roger rabbit unless we have fast pass. There is a small roller coaster but we have not ridden it. Then the houses a wheel chair can go in all the way to see Mickey or Minnie.


Ill try to list how we get on at California Adveture next

 

[Barbday62]

In California Adventure this is how we get on rides with a wheel chair:

ON the pier:
Golden Zepher the wheel chair user will use an elevator in the normal line for the most part. Orange Stinger: I think this also uses an elevator.
Both these rides seldom have long lines anyway.
Sun Wheel get in normal line for moving or still carts.
California Screaming: Get in normal line until right before the stairs and they pull your party out to go in a gate. Once they made us go over to the other side with the two elevators and that was a mess getting back onto the wheel chair since we had to exit the same place the next party was getting on.
He never rode the carousel
Maliboomer is the regular line

Grizzly river run is a special handicap line but I think you get in the regular line first then separate off. The line leads to where they pull the tube off the course so handicap people have a lot longer to load/unload. Then they push you back into the que to ride. It’s great not having to move so fast.
Much of the Red wood creek challenge is not for Wheel chairs but you can bring it down to the bottom and see the small creek and go in the cavern to see what animal you are like. They don’t allow strollers in here but do allow wheel chairs.

Soaring is the regular line.
You can do both bread and tortilla factory tours in wheel chairs.
The animation academy and that entire building is wheel chair accessible. It’s a wonderful place to spend lots of discovery time in. Also Crush is there too.
In Tower of Terror we have had mixed stories on how to load. Most of the time we go in the fast pass line but once they made us go in the regular line then split off to the right elevator. It’s the one with no stairs attached to it.
There are wheel chair spots for Hyperthian Theater or you can leave it outside and walk in.
Monsters Inc you get in regular line.
All the shows you can take wheel chair into with you like Muppets 3D, Tough to be a bug, Golden Dreams.
There are a bunch of kid type rides in Flicks Fun fair but I have never ridden there with my husband so I’m not sure how they load with a wheel chair.

As you see for the most part California Adventure park is Wheel chair accessible for everything. Other than a few minor pull outs we are main stream there.

 

[SueM in MN]

Barbday62, thanks for the nice report on accessibility.
We don't get a lot of info or questions about DL, so it's nice to have your information.

 

[Barbday62]

Oh I just remembered something and this one is sort of exciting to me. The island now titled "Pirates Liar" is handicap/Wheel chair accessible. Its the only place you see Captain Jack Sparrow too. But the caviet is dont go when its crowded, went on a week day morning and it was great. I can see the tunnel being a problem if you do when crowded. We took my husbands power chair in it and it was slow and tight but so worth doing!!
Nobody could pass us and absolutly nobody could enter the wrong way when we was there because they could not pass us and we could not turn around. All the trails are ok to do and where there is stairs they installed Elevators for the wheel chair to use (Self serve) We pulled his wheel chair right up onto the rafts and they had a plank to roll off the other end.

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiW2QXSFmQ0
Thisi is a view of DCA from a wheelchair. The last part is the entrance to the Grizzly Rapids.

The Orange Stinger uses an elevator and is a swing ride so it may be hard for a disabled person to get into the seats.

Hyperion theatre seats are for kid sized people. I got stuck in a seat next to a fat lady and I sat there through the show with my body in pain and contorted to fit the seat.

I did the Bugs area and cannot remember how it loaded. The bumper car ride is very slick surfaced.